For the second consecutive year, Tatler Asia magazine honored Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto as one of “Asia’s Most Influential” leaders of 2022, citing his servant leadership and commitment to good governance as the youngest elected chief executive of the city.
The list, released on Tuesday, Nov. 1, included 500 honorees who were known for being “drivers of positive change” in their respective sectors.
The recipients of the magazine’s flagship list came from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Taiwan.
“Sotto was elected on a platform geared towards improving the welfare of his people—and he has made good on delivering his campaign promises,” the magazine stated.
Tatler Asia hailed Sotto for taking a “data-driven approach” to Pasig’s Covid-19 response, particularly on disseminating information to the public during the enforcement of quarantines and lockdowns at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
The magazine also highlighted Pasig’s public sanitation and social welfare programs for frontliners, and the anti-hoarding ordinance passed to ensure access and sufficient supply of goods during the pandemic.
Sotto first appeared on the “Asia’s Most Influential” list in 2021.
In 2020, he was in Tatler Asia’s “Gen.T” list, which acknowledged the accomplishments of “300 trailblazing entrepreneurs, creatives, and young leaders in shaping Asia’s future.”
Sotto’s leadership and transparency initiatives have also received accolades internationally, having been named as one of 12 global anti-corruption champions by the United States (US) Department of State in February 2021.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also cited Sotto’s anti-corruption platform in a speech at an Indo-Pacific region conference held in Indonesia in December 2021.
Other Metro Manila mayors included in Tatler Asia’s “Asia’s Most Influential 2022” list were Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay.